Pitchfork reviews Jens Lekman
Pitchfork reviews the new Jens Lekman album "I know what love isn't": http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/16979-i-know-what-love-isnt/
Tag: Reviews
Jess and the Ancient Ones
s/t
Svart Records
This is quite the surprise release by this relatively new Finnish seven piece. There's an immediate atmosphere here that's both unique and captivating -- a retro heavy rock psychedelia that doesn't sound quite like anyone else. That said, the Finns obviously pull their musical inspiration from the likes of Iron Maiden, Thin Lizzy and Mercyful Fate as is evident on numerous occasions throughout the album. There's also a slight hint of early Metallica found here and there, although it must be stressed that this isn't a metal album by any stretch. Frontwoman Jess has a great sounding voice, although it seems to lack power in some areas, most likely a result of the vocals being slightly dimmed in the mix. There's a touch of a feminine Patrick Dubar in her voice who, for those of you who don't know, was the extremely underrated vocalist of '90s hard rock band Mindfunk. For the most part this album is upbeat, driving stuff, with incredible musicianship on display -- from the Maiden/Lizzy pummel of "Ghost riders" to the "People are strange" vibe of "Devil (in g minor)" and the subdued Opeth-prog of closer "Come crimson death" -- and almost perfect pacing throughout. It's an exciting body of work with a powerful production that hints at bigger and better to come from these occultists.
- John Norby
More Øya from Under the Radar
For more on Øya, here's coverage of Day 3 and Day 4 from Under the Radar.
Pitchfork at Øya
Pitchfork went to Øya and went on the black metal sightseeing tour and also managed to catch locals Disaster in the Universe, who they graciously dubbed "The worst band in Norway (and, possibly, the entire world)": http://pitchfork.com/features/articles/8916-ya/
They also made an effort to catch at least some other Norwegian acts, singling out Susanne Sundfør, Highasakite, Pow Pow, Young Dreams and Årabrot as standouts.
Pitchfork reviews Niki and the Dove
Pitchfork reviews Niki and the Dove's much-anticipated album "Instinct": http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/16758-instinct/
Under the Radar at Øya, day 2
Under the Radar checks in from Øya once again, this time with live reviews of Philco Fiction, Ane Brun and more: http://www.undertheradarmag.com/reviews/ya_day_2_philco_fiction_baroness_john_maus_frank_ocean_st._vincent_ane_brun/
Dusted reviews Holograms
Dusted recommends Holograms self-titled album: http://dustedmagazine.com/reviews/7302
Koko
K.O.
Fashionpolice
While you couldn't really say that Koko has a unique premise about it, you could quite comfortably declare that it sounds interesting -- an '80s pop elixir laced with electro tanginess and served up by the tongue of Dear Euphoria. Mmmm, tasty. The thing is that despite the potential here -- not least down to the unique and untouchable voice of Elina Johansson -- this debut full-length falls a good bit short of the mark in terms of retaining any initial interest. It just seems like second-rate, done-before, Swedish electropop that, while well enough executed, gets pretty tired pretty quickly. There's a thin air or pretension about "K.O." -- a feeling that a contrived effort to 'think outside the box' has been the main driving force of any kind of variation here. It's a shame, but at the end of the day -- whether contrived or authentic -- "K.O." just doesn't pack the punch it needs to render it essential.
- John Norby
Under the Radar at Øya
Under the Radar is at the Øya Festival and making a conscious effort to check out local sounds on their first night out: http://www.undertheradarmag.com/reviews/ya_opening_night_making_marks_einar_stray_and_disaster_in_the_universe/
Blues Pills
Pills EP
Crusher Records
Initial thoughts on this are that bands like Blues Pills are ten a penny and to be found playing in rock or blues bars the world over on any given weekend. It's psychedelic blues rock with -- admittedly -- some absolutely stunning vocals in Elin Larsson and it will naturally appeal to the classic rock crowd who love their widdly-widdly bluesy guitars with some Janis Joplin and a bit more grit. It does take a while before the indifference (sort of) subsides and the true potential of Blues Pills becomes evident. That potential is in the fact that these guys really can play. Bigtime. And if fretwankery is your thing, you'll love this. However, the fact remains that everything is still very formulaic and brings absolutely nothing new to the table musically, so if it's innovation you're after, you may as well forget about this international collaboration between Sweden, France and the USA. It's enjoyable, yes, but -- just like you could say about all those bar bands -- is it a patch on Fleetwood Mac? Not really.
- John Norby
Pitchfork reviews Holograms
Pitchfork reviews the Holograms' new self-titled album, out now via : http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/16901-holograms/
Don't forget our own review which you can find right here.
Beastmilk
Use your deluge
Svart Records
Now this is where it's at! This four-tracker kicks off like the ugly cousin of something that The Cult would have put out back in the day and it's immediately evident where talk of the Helsinki quartet being a lo-fi outfit comes from. It's not that they're lo-fi though, it's more that the guitars have been given a dirty post black metal(ish) production and remain subdued when compared to the sublime vocals. They're like an apocalyptic marriage of the voices of Ian Astbury and the enigmatic Czral from Norwegian oddballs Virus. Kvhost of Hexvessel infamy is the man here and he simply kills. After opening track "Void mother" the band venture into a more retro-based aesthetic and, as weird as it might sound, from here on out "Use your deluge" is probably best described as hippy '60s surf-punk for the 21st Century. There are many influences at work here and the concept has clearly been built from a punk foundation. It's also a grower that runs from "not sure" to "utterly amazing" in the space of a few days. Awesome stuff.
- John Norby
Best of 2012 (so far)
Been meaning to get this written up for over a week now, but I haven't found the time and now that I'm about head out on vacation to Sweden for a couple weeks, I figure I need to get at least something up. So without further ado, here's my picks for the best releases of 2012 so far (in alphabetical order):
Agent Side Grinder - Hardware ()
Beastmilk - Use your deluge ()
Diskoteket - Det ska se ut som slutet ()
Magnus Ekelund & Stålet - Supernova EP ()
Nitad - Rastlös & vild ()
Susanne Sundfør - The silicone veil ()
Tvärvägen - Staring directly into the sun ()
Vånna Inget - Jag ska fly tills jag hittar hem ()
On the cusp/too early to tell:
Anchorless - Every nook and cranny ()
Norra Kust - s/t ()
Westkust - Junk EP ()
Reissues:
Missbrukarna - Zooma in en zombie ()
Ratsia - Jäljet ()
Listen to a selection of these records below via Spotify:
Holograms
s/t
Captured Tracks
Like the adjective 'existentialism', the term 'post-punk' has acquired myriad meanings and applications over the years, each evoking a different shade and tone. For many, post-punk is the Mancunian dirges of Joy Division or the liminal, transitional territory covered on Wire's "Pink flag"; for others it's the jagged edges of Gang of Four, the howling desolation of The Fall, or the playful, intricate compositions of Orange Juice. At the end of most civil conversations revolving around the concept of post-punk, often an agreement is reached that while the genre's most influential records may not sit neatly beside each other, "you know it when you hear it."
With Holograms' debut full-length, this consensus seems rather apt. The record has a wonderful, sprawling scope, echoing (and occasionally distancing itself from) a number of post-punk's most highly lauded members, yet the album deftly evades pigeonholing. What Stockholm's Holograms accomplish in their thirty-eight minute romp is more than enough to allow them to be judged not on their influences, but on the construct the members themselves have created -- a dark, eerily beautiful soundscape of razor wire thin guitars, eddying synths, and sung-spoken vocals; all held together by a spine of heaving bass and colossal drums.
Opener "Monolith" sets the tone -- the first third of the composition a slow burn before the inevitable eruption -- and the two stand outs, for me at least, "ABC City" and "A tower", effortlessly prove that even thirty plus years on from "Unknown pleasures" and "Pink flag" there is still so much left to be said using the post-punk lexicon. "A tower" is particularly noteworthy, easily slipping between chaos and clarity, between violence and introspection, fusing the song's elements into far more than the sum of its parts -- precisely the transcendent quality that drew me to punk and post-punk in the first place. In a few words, "Holograms" is brilliant, proving not only the resilience of a genre, but demonstrating that there is ground still to be covered and territory left to be claimed within its unsettled peripheries.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson
Cult Nation reviews This Gift is a Curse
Cult Nation reviews the new album "I, guilt bearer" from This Gift is a Curse: http://www.cvltnation.com/i-guilt-bearer-this-gift-is-a-curse-lp-review/
I finally figured out the thing that was nagging me about this record -- a lot of the vocals remind me of the Deftones. It's not necessarily a bad thing, it's more that the styles don't meld.